Plus! St. Vincent, Cedric Burnside, Keith Scott, Phil Demmel, the Gun Club, Martin Miller, reviews of seven pedals, the Who and Jackson Browne transcribed and more
(Image credit: Rayon Richards/Future)
As you can tell from the prize-winning photo below, Kerry King recently visited Guitar World’s NYC studio.
King – a native (and longtime) SoCal guy – is now a very happy Manhattanite, which is great news for us, since NYC cover shoots are so rare. Do you have any idea how many American rock stars live in either Nashville or California these days? Anyway, welcome to NYC, Kerry. Let’s grab an everything bagel at Zabar’s!
And speaking of local stuff, you’ll probably notice that we decided to spotlight the 30 all-time greatest New Jersey guitarists in this issue – New Jersey, as in the neighboring state to the west (and south).
Why New Jersey, you ask? Hey, what can I say? I was born in the same maternity ward as Al Di Meola, and I'd bet $3.57 that Claydes “Charles” Smith, Al Caiola and Frank Infante were born there too. I even went to the same high school as Infante... But don’t worry, California, New York, Michigan (and many other states) – we’ll get there!
[from left] Me, Kerry King and GW video editor Alan Chaput (Image credit: Rayon Richards/Future)
Anyway, here's what we've got in this issue!
>>>Slayer co-founder Kerry King returns from the ashes with From Hell I Rise, the highly anticipated debut album from his eponymous new all-star band. He also addresses the end of Slayer, this year’s surprise reunion shows, his gear endorsements throughout the decades and his chemistry with guitarist Phil Demmel.
>>>The 30 greatest New Jersey guitarists of all time – including Zakk Wylde, Les Paul, Al Di Meola, Ernie Isley, Jim Babjak and several other first and last names!
>>>Annie Clark – aka St. Vincent – discusses her single-minded pursuit of raw emotions and sonic perfection and how she served as “judge, jury and executioner” on her new, self-produced album.
>>>From Cuts Like a Knife to Summer of ’69, Canadian guitar great Keith Scott discusses the gear and solos that have fueled Bryan Adams’ music for more than 40 years.
>>>Texas guitar great David Grissom debuts his new GW column, Lone Star Evolution.
>>>Cedric Burnside, grandson of Mississippi bluesman R.L. Burnside, professes his Hill Country Love.
>>>In the first installment of The Gear Hunter, find out how a doctor – who also sidelined in designing suits for firefighters – wound up creating Cream Guitars, one of the most groundbreaking new brands in our industry.
We have new interviews with the Dandy Warhols' Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Peter Holmström, Vito Bratta (who revisits his classic September 1983 GW cover), Larissa Liveir, the Pineapple Thief's Bruce Soord, UFO's Vinnie Moore (who shows off his pedalboard) and the Gun Club's Kid Congo Powers, who discusses the band's 1984 album, The Las Vegas Story.
We also chat with Manuel Gardner Fernandes, Tristan Auman and Martin Miller.
Gear-wise, besides our Blackstar feature, we explore the history and allure of vintage Danelectro Shorthorn guitars and review the following pedals:
>>>MXR Joshua Tree Ambient Echo
>>>Keeley Electronics Angry Orange, Blues Disorder and Super Rodent
>>>Line 6 HX One
>>>Danelectro Nichols 1966 fuzz
>>>DigiTech SDRUM Strummable Drums.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
